Momentary contact impulse switch



Patented May i6, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE Claims.

This invention relates to a momentary contact switch and moreparticularly to a contact operating element for a micro-switch or thelike.

It is an object of this invention to provide a switch actuating deviceof the kind to be more particularly described hereinafter formomentarily closing a micro-switch or relay upon rotation of theactuating element in one direction and slipping past the switch uponrotation in the opposite direction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a momentary contactoperating element for a micro-switch which will make or break thecircuit upon upward travel of the actuating arm only and will return toits normal position without holding or operating the contacts of theswitch upon return of the actuating arm to its normal position.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a momentary contactswitch actuating device for momentarily actuating a relay or microswitchas used on counting devices on conveyors and production machinery,cutoff saws and knives on insulating board, plaster board, cardboard,and wood veneer forming machines.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in thearrangement, combina tion and details of construction disclosed in thedrawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

' In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a transverse section, partly broken away, of a momentarycontact switch constructed according to an embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section showing the switchactuating members in the switch closing position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail section taken on the line 4--4 ofFigure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail section taken on the line 5--5 ofFigure l.

Referring to the drawings the numeral II! designates generally a housingor casing within which the micro-switch and its operating mechanism areadapted to be housed. The housing Il! is formed with a front wall I Iand a bottom wall I2 preferably formed integral therewith. The back andtop of the housing Il) are closed by a rear wall I4 and a top wall I5,formed integral therewith, and formed of flat sheet material.

' A micro-switch I6 is supported within the housing Ill and secured tothe front wall II. The switch I6 may be of any conventional type ofmicro-switch or relay having a casing Il and a contact actuating arm orbutton i8 extending from one wall of the casing. A bolt or screw I9engages through one end of the switch casing I'I and engages the frontwall II of the housing ID ior rockably securing the switch I6 within thehousing. A second bolt, as 20, engages through the other end of thehousing Il and engages in an arcuate slot 2| formed in the front wall ofthe housing I0. A nut 22 is threadably engaged on the outer end of thebolt 2t for securing the micro-switch I6 in a selected pivoted positionabout the fastening pin I9, within the housing lli.

An eccentric member 24 is rookably mounted within the housing I0 forengagement with the arm or button I8 of the micro-switch. The ececentric member 2li is formed of a substantially cylindrical upper bodyportion 25 rockably mounted on a pin 25 which extends through the frontwall II of the housing It. The eccentric member 24 is spaced inwardlyfrom the inner surface of the front wall I I by a spacer or Washer 2l.The bolt 26 is fixed relative to the wall II while the eccentric member2t is rockably mounted on the inner end oi the pin. The pin 26 extendsthrough the center of the body 25 eccentric to the axis thereof so thatthe periphery of the body 25 will engage the button I8 in certainpivoted positions, and will be free from the button in other positions.An arm 23 is formed integral with the body 25 and extends downwardlytherefrom substantially at a tangent to the peripnery of the body. Inother words, the arm 28 is disposed in a vertical plane laterally ofsetfrom the vertical plane through the aXis of the bolt 2B and offset fromthe axis of the body 25. A blade or plate 2Q is secured to one side ofthe arm 28 substantially in alignment with the Vertical plane throughthe axis of the body 25. The plate 29 is formed with a verticallyextending slot 3o therein. A screw, as 3l, engages through the slot 39and threadably engages in the arm 29 for adjustably supporting the plate29 thereon. The lower end of the plate 29 extends downwardly below thelower end lof the arm 2B, for the purposes to be described hereinafter.

A coiled spring 32 engages about the pin 25 adjacent the body 25, andone end of the spring ls secured on the pin by the engagement of one endof the spring through an opening 3s in the end of the pin. The other endof the spring 32 is xed on the arm 28, opposite from the blade 29 by ascrew 35 or other suitable fastening devices. The spring 32 is tensionedfor moving the eccentric member 24 in a counter-clockwise direc- 3 tionas viewed in Figure 2, so that the surface of the eccentric member willnormally be biased out of engagement with the button I8.

A pin or stop member 36 is xed on the front wall II of the housing I8and extends inwardly of the casing. The stop member 35 is adapted toabut the arm 28 of the eccentric member 24 for limiting the rockingmovement of the eccentric member about the pin 28. While the arm 28 isin engagement with the limit pin 3S, the surface of the body 25 is outof engagement with the button I8 so that the button I8 is in its extremeex, tended position from the micro-switch housing I'I:

A shaft 3l extends through the` front walllvl Iv below the micro-switchIE and below the eccen.- tric member 24. naled in a bearing 3Scarriedybythe Vfront wall I I. The shaft 3l is adapted to be connectedto or actuated by the operating means with whichv the micro-switch I6 isoperatively associated. A

cylindricalinember Gti-.is xed to or. formedon the outerend :ci theshaft.3l.-.and is formed with a serrated frontface 3S.' rIhe.cylindrical member 38 isformedwith anoutwardly opening recess 40 thereinwithin which a bolt ilisadapted to be threadablyengaged.Acorrelatedcylindrical memberl 32,A associated with the Acylindricalmember 33 iscarried'bythe bolt 4iso that the serratedface 44;-, of :thecylindrical member 42 will be in frictionalgengagoment withV theserrated.face 39 of the cylindrical member 33, The boltI,I extends ythrough thecylindrical member l2f and into Ytlierecess 40 4.f or seuringthetcylin-` drical members38 and 42together. A shaft, as, is engaged throughan arm-4E, flxedvto or formed integral with Ithe A,cylindrical memberil?, and secured therein by `a set screwl;

Aylind1ca1-cam suonfzrtilfleV body 48 is .Cerried by the shaft 4,withinthe housing IEE. The shatsupporting memberZ 48.-is formed with acylindrical body engageable about thel shaft 31 and havinga p airv of,upwardly extending, transversely. spaced apart` arms.v 49, formed`integral therewith. The cam supporting. body. 48 and armslllaredisposed invrverticalalignment with the eccentric member 24. within the.housing I0. A cam 58 is VpivotallyA mounted between the. arms 49 von thecam supportingmember VA'Igby atransverse pivot. pin i between'the .arms.A stopV member-or limit pin 52 xed betweenV the` arms 49 at the 'lowerend thereof., below the-piyotpin 5I. The cam Etis rockable about thepivot Ypin 5I andk engageable with the limit pin 52, so that the cam isfreelypivotal about the.pin5I in oney direction. A.V flat springl5-engagesabout/theA lower surface ofthe cam supportingvmember 48. whereit is xed at oneend. by a screw.55. or,Y other suitable Vfasteningmeans. Thespring 5I!` continues about the periphery oi the lower bodyportion of the cam supporting member 43.101' engaging the lower endofthe ycam iibelow the pivot pin 5I, for urging. the'lowerend or .the.cam

into enga-gement with'the limitfpinZ. While the cam member 58 isvpi-votally mounted on the.

pivot pin El, itis -constantly urged into engagement with the limitpin52A bythe free endof the spring 54, soY thatthecam. Slis normallydisposed radially relative tothe axis of theshaft 3l', on which it issupported.v

In the use and operation of themomentary contact switch device,describedabove, the micro;

switch Orrelay- IE-.is `operativelyconnected withthe electrical means.with which -it is associated, by a wire or. suitable leads 55..Themicro-switch,

A shaft 31 is rotatably jourmally closed type, which is particularlyadapted to be actuated out of its normal position only momentarily forthe proper operation of the devices with which it is operativelyconnected. For momentarily actuating the relay or micro-switch I6, theshaft 31 will be rotated, either manually or in association with themeans which are to be controlled by the micro-switch I6. Rotation of theshaft 37 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 2, will eiecttherotation of the cam 50 about the axis of the shaft 3'.' to engage theupwardly extending lip 5'! of the cam 5G with the downwardly extendingportion of the plate 29, carried-l by theeccentric member 24. Theengagement of the lip 57 with the downwardly extending plate will pressthe eccentric member 24 into engagement with its associated stop pin 36,and as the cam 5d is spring pressed against rotation in acounter-clockwise direction, the lower end of the cam 5G will be movedin a counter-,clockwise direction-,against the tension of the spring-54,so that the cam 58 will be pivoted to pass freely under the eccentricmember 24.

In `the counter-clockwise rotation of the shaft 3l', thelip E? of thelcam will engage the plate 29of the eccentric member 24, and as thecamilislimited against rotation in a clockwise di-v rection by its stop pin`52, the eccentric member 24.*will be rocked about its :pivot pin 28 so.that the surface of the body 25, rempteiromthe center, will engage thebutton 8 4ofthe microswitch l-- The movement of the pin-or `buttonlinwardly of the microewitch housing I'I will eect the actuation of themicro-switchfromits normally.v set position only momentarily until thecam 53 has moved downwardly to the left, as viewed in Figure 2 out ofengagement with the plate 29, of the eccentric memberfZffI;4 The llimitof engagement of the cam 5D with theeccentric member Zbl-is noted inFigure-3 .of-the drawing, where the lip 5l has reached a point in .itsrota-` tion onthe lshaft 3! where-.it is moving outof engagement withtherlower, end ofl theplate 29. As-the cam 59 moves torthetlet,infFigure 3, the spring 32 willepress-the eccentricI member 2 4 back to`its normal position,l inengagement withv the stop pinr'. At thisrtimethe button or-y switch actuating member I8-, will bespringpressed toVits normal position, either opentor closed'.`

I do not mean to conne myselfftotherexact details of construction hereindisclosed, but claim allavariations falling, withinthepurviewof theappended claims.

I .claim:

l. A momentary contact actuatingdevice for a. micro -switch having aAcontact aotuatingwarm comprising an eccentric. pivctedy memberengageable with said contact actuating. armquponl rotation in` onedirectionv for actuating said switch, a plate on said memberA extendingradially; therefrom, resilient means urgingsaid rnemberoutof engagementwith said .arm-,7, av rotatable switch actuating shaft, a cam`body.iixedon said shaft and extending radiallytherefrom; acam rockableonsaid cam bodyengageableswith. said platefor rocking said eccentriclmembeinupon rotation of. saidshaft inone direction.

2. A momentary Contact actuatingdevice for a micro-switch vhaving avcontact actuating button Y n said member out` or" engagement .with saidvbutton; IiiA may be. of. the normally open-, v or. the.A noru ,lcsiliontmeanspressing said member into..en.-,

gagement with said stop pin, a rotatable switch actuating shaft, a c-ambody fixed on said shaft extending radially therefrom, a cam rockable onsaid cam body and engageable with said eccentric member upon rotation ofsaid shaft, a stop member on said cam body engageable with said cam forholding said cam against rocking in one direction for rocking saideccentric member into engagement with said contact actuating button uponrotation of said shaft in one direction, said cam being rockable out ofengagement with said stop member upon rotation of said shaft in theother direction and engagement of said cam with said eccentric memberfor rocking said eccentric member against said stop pin.

3. A momentary switch actuating device for a switch having a contactactuating member comprising a pivoted eccentric member engageable withsaid contact actuating member, and biased out of engagement therewith, arotatable shaft, a cam member on said shaft radially thereof mounted forswinging movement in one direction engageable with said eccentric memberupon rotation of said shaft in one direction for rocking said eccentricmember into engagement with said contact actuating member and rockablein the other direction upon engagement with said eccentric member uponreverse rotation of said shaft.

4. A switch actuating device for a micro-switch having a contactactuating member comprising an eccentric member rockable into engagementwith said contact actuating member and biased out of engagementtherewith, an arm on said eccentric member extending from the peripherythereof, a rotatable shaft, a c-am supporting member xed on said shaft,a cam on said cam supporting member mounted for swinging in onedirection, biased for normal radial disposition relative to said shaftand engageable with said arm for rocking said eccentric member toengagement with said contact actuating member upon rotation of saidshaft in one direction and for rocking said cam out of engagement withsaid arm upon reverse rotation of said shaft.

5. A switch actuating device for a micro-switch having a contactactuating member comprising an eccentric member rockable into engagementwith said contact actuating member and biased out of engagementtherewith, a rotatable shaft, a cam supporting member fixed on saidshaft, a cam on said cam supporting member mounted for swinging in onedirection and biased for normal radial disposition relative to saidshaft and engageable with said eccentric member for rocking saideccentric member to engagement with said contact actuating member uponrotation of said shaft in one direction and for rocking said cam out ofengagement with said eccentric member upon reverse rotation of saidshaft.

FRANK G. KRIZE, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 389,122 Turner Sept. 4, 1888974,480 Foster Nov. 1, 1910 2,093,085 Ludwig Sept. 14, 1937 2,297,180Walsh Sept. 29, 1942

